Nigeria and former Arsenal player, Alex Iwobi, has penned an emotional letter to thank Arsenal and its fans for his “17 fantastic years” at the club he joined as a six-year-old kid.

Iwobi was sold to Everton for a whopping £40m broken down into initial down payment of £28 million and another £12 million in add-on fees. He became thus the most expensive player ever sold by Arsenal in its 133 years history and Nigeria’s most expensive player in any transfer market.

Below is his emotional letter:

“I grew up dreaming of playing for Arsenal, following in the footsteps of some of my heroes. I’m proud to say that at 23 I’ve achieved one of my dreams. From playing for Arsenal kids to 149 senior appearances. It was an honour to play for the club I supported as a boy.

“I’ve enjoyed every minute of it. So many people to thank, far too many individual names to mention but I thank you all! So many great moments, from scoring my first goal at the Emirates to scoring my last goal in Baku, you’ve all played a big part in my 17 fantastic years.

“Special thanks to the fans, my team mates, the support staff, my coaches Arsene Wenger and Unai Emery who put faith in me and gave me the opportunity to grow as a player and a man. Big love to a special club. Arsenal will be forever in my heart.”